


Liar, Liar

by fishfingersandjellybabies



Category: Batman (Comics)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-11
Updated: 2015-12-11
Packaged: 2018-05-06 02:36:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,260
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5399681
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fishfingersandjellybabies/pseuds/fishfingersandjellybabies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Dick lied, and should have known that Damian wasn’t going to react well to it. After all, Tim and Jason seemed to.</p><p>(based on Grayson #15)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Liar, Liar

**Author's Note:**

> Based on Grayson #15, and Dick getting the others thrown in prison for their own safety during Robin War, and a potential outcome when they’re reunited afterwards/in the middle. I feel like Damian’s already on a thin wire, and Dick’s betrayal, or seemed betrayal, would snap his already fragile psyche instantly. This is stupid, I don’t care.

Dick barely made it through the door before what looked like a plate came flying at his head.

(It could have been a book, though. He tried to duck too quickly to get a good look.

 _Tried_ being the keyword.)

_“Liars are not welcome here!”_

He recognized the hurt voice as Damian’s just as the saucer – because that’s what it was, a teacup saucer – bounced off his temple and shattered on the floor at his feet.

“Damia-”

“Do not speak to me!” Damian howled. His voice seemed to jerk halfway through, as if someone had grabbed his arm and dragged him backwards. “You are not _permitted_ to speak to me! You’re not permitted to _be_ here! I want you _out!_ ”

“Chill, kiddo.” Jason hummed, as Dick rubbed his head, peeked up in time to see him pulling Damian back against his stomach, crossing his arms over the boy’s chest protectively. Damian struggled, but barely. “Don’t make me put you in time out.”

“He betrayed us.” Damian countered, voice a near pathetic whine. He had been glancing up at Jason, but now he dropped his eyes back to Dick. “ _You_ betrayed _me_.”

Dick winced at the tone. At the less-than-subtle implication.

“I had to,” Dick stepped forward, was surprised to find Jason match the stride backwards, dragging Damian with him and positioning himself in front of Tim, who had yet to get up from the sofa, but was watching emotionlessly. “It was the only way to-”

“You didn’t _have_ to.” Damian hissed. He lunged, or tried to, but Jason held him back with ease. “You’ve _never had_ to.”

“That’s true.” Tim quipped as he leaned forward. He wasn’t going to stand, though. Seemed to just be watching, preparing to jump in case Jason needed help with their youngest brother. “Honesty goes a long way, there, Dick.”

Jason just nodded in agreement.

“I know. I _know_ it was a rotten thing to do. And you guys have every right to be mad.” Dick glanced up at Jason. Pleaded silently with Jason to let him closer. Jason seemed to hesitate, tightening his hold on Damian’s shoulders, but nodded eventually. Dick stepped forward again. Jason held his position. “But please, just let me explain, okay? I had a good reason, you know I wouldn’t have done it if I didn’t. It wa-”

“To _me_ , Grayson. You lied to _me_.” Damian continued. Seemed there was no stopping him now, not even the hand Jason was trying to shove over his mouth. He jerked away from it, clasped Jason’s hand in his own to stop him from trying again. When Dick took another step towards them, though, he could see Damian pressing back against Jason defensively. “Todd and Drake aside, I don’t care. You lied to _me_. The one thing you swore you would _never_ do.”

“All right niño, settle down.” Jason huffed. He moved to pull his hand away, but Damian refused to let go. “We let you have your little outburst. Now we do actually have to listen to what Dick has to say. So why don’t you just go sit with Timbo and-”

“You said we were _partners_. You said you _respected_ me.” Damian was like a runaway train now, and his voice was getting caught up in the emotion.

(And even as Dick continued forward, he could see Tim reaching for Damian’s arm. About to pull him back and out of the situation. Let Jason deal with it while he calmed their baby down.)

He held up his hands in placation. “Damian-”

 _“You said you loved me.”_ Damian finished. “And last I checked, this is _not_ what you do to loved ones.”

“Kiddo, please-”

“You do not lie to loved ones. You do not keep them in the dark. You do not force them to fight on their own, without a plan.” Damian narrowed his eyes, balled his hands into fists, even as he pulled away from Tim’s budding grasp. “You do not get them thrown in _jail_. You do _not_ -”

Dick didn’t want to hear another word. The guilt was already plaguing him, already mounting with every word Damian screamed in his face. He couldn’t bear to take any more, or else he might burst.

As soon as he was close enough, he dropped to his knees. Took Damian’s face in his hands, and held on for dear life.

“To keep them safe you do.” He cut off. Jason instantly loosened his own hold on Damian, slowly slid his hands away to rest on Damian’s shoulders. “To make sure, with the _utmost certainty_ , that they’re _protected_ , you do.”

Finally, Damian didn’t respond.

“It was crappy, and I’m sorry, but I didn’t have a choice.” Dick whispered, keeping hold of Damian’s face even as his mouth pursed, as he blinked away the unshed tears and tried to hide the tremble of his bottom lip. “This is bigger than us, Damian. Bigger than me, bigger than _Robin_.” He chanced a smile. Damian didn’t return it. “I’d already lost you once. I’d already lost _Jason_ once, and I’ve already _almost_ lost Tim more times than I even want to _think_ about it. I wasn’t going to risk you all again.”

And without warning, he tugged Damian forward. Into his arms and against his chest. And, to the surprise of everyone – though maybe, at the same time, of no one – Damian allowed the gesture. Instantly curled up in Dick’s embrace like it was his place to own, closed his eyes when Dick held the back of his head.

“I wasn’t going to risk you all again.” Dick repeated softly. He looked up at Tim, who gave him the ghost of a smile, then to Jason, who was just watching thoughtfully. “And I’d rather you all be alive and pissed than…than dead and _knowledgeable_.”

Jason snorted. “Yeah, alright. Well if that was your goal, I think you succeeded, there, Dickie.”

“Good.” Dick laughed, leaned his head on Damian’s. “I’m glad.”

“Doesn’t mean you’re not still in a crapload of trouble, though.” Tim added as he stood, though there wasn’t the same sharpness to his words as a couple minutes ago. “Now let Damian go before you suffocate him in that nasty-ass shirt, _Agent 37_ , and give us the details of what you found out.”

“Yeah, and also, you can’t _really_ drink a cup of tea while holding a cranky infant.” Jason added, following right after him. “Trust me – _Tim_ _tried_.”

“Oh, I don’t know about that, Jay. Damian and I are pretty good at achieving the impossible.” Dick laughed, even as he shifted, tried to look down at Damian. Damian who was suddenly latched onto his torso so hard it was a struggle to breathe. “Aren’t we, kid?”

Damian didn’t answer, just dug his fingers into Dick’s back.

“You’ve got good aim, by the way.” Dick hummed. “I’m gonna have a bruise on my forehead for at _least_ a week.”

Still, nothing.

“…I’m sorry for lying, Damian. For getting you guys a roughed up and thrown in prison.” Dick murmured gently. “But I’m not going to apologize for _protecting_ you. Not ever.”

There was a pause, and then a childish huff. “…I hate you.”

Well, looked like Dick wasn’t the only liar in this family.

“Yeah.” Dick exhaled, hooking his arm around Damian’s legs and lifting him up, just as he heard Jason and Tim start to bicker in the kitchen, about what kind of tea was the best. He kissed Damian’s temple as he moved. Smiled against his hair. “…I hate you too, kiddo.”


End file.
